The described aspects relate to widgets, and more specifically to apparatus and methods relating to customizing widget operation on a user device for intercommunication.
Wireless networking systems have become a prevalent way to communicate with others worldwide. Wireless communication devices, such as a mobile or cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), etc., operate on such networks, and have become smaller and more powerful in order to meet consumer needs and to improve portability and convenience. Consumers have become dependent upon these devices, demanding reliable service, expanded areas of coverage, additional services such as web browsing capabilities, and continued reduction in the size and cost of such devices.
Many of the functionalities and end user experiences of wireless communication devices have been developed, with limited success, to mimic the functionalities and end user experiences of a personal computing (PC) environment. For example, mobile web services have seen varying levels of success, even with the deployment of relatively high speed and high capacity services, such as advanced 3G services (1X-EV-DO Rev. A, UMTS HSPA). Much of the problem lies in the fact that the mobile web browsing experience is distinct from the PC experience with which most users are familiar. In particular, many end users find mobile web browsing applications to be hard to use, for example, with regard to entering search information, and difficult to enjoy, for example, as the resulting presentation of content is unpleasant.
It would desirable for a user to enjoy a common user experience, whether at a general purpose computing platform (e.g., desktop or laptop personal computer (PC)) or a more mobile communication device (e.g., personal digital assistant (PDA), smart phone, or hand-held PC). However, setting up a common experience is hampered by constraints presented by the respective user interfaces, as well as device usage. Moreover, standardization of the user experience should take into consideration how a user may want a customized experience based on creating more elaborate interactions between platform independent widgets to address additional desires and needs without having to be proficient in programming.